The Bills’ first loss of the season hit hard enough on its own. The way it happened made it sting more.
Buffalo went into Sunday’s matchup with New England at home and came out of it with a 29-26 defeat, a result that snapped the unbeaten start and sent the Bills sliding in several NFL power rankings. The offense never found a clean rhythm, and the secondary stayed a problem as the Patriots - who had scored just 29 total points over their first three games - hung 29 on Buffalo.
That was the backdrop for a week of ranking drops across the media landscape.
ESPN slotted Buffalo at No. 4, down three spots, and framed the opening month as a possible case of expectations running too hot too soon. The Bills had piled up 77 points and 855 yards over their first two games, with Josh Allen looking unstoppable against Houston and Detroit.
But ESPN noted those two teams are now a combined 2-6, while Buffalo has come back to earth. Over the past two weeks, Joe Brady’s offense has averaged 25 points per game and coughed up the ball seven times.
The takeaway was simple: the Bills are still a real AFC contender, but the early-season juggernaut may have been something closer to a mirage. ESPN also highlighted Jim Leonhard’s blunt comment about crowd noise: “if we complain about that, we are assholes.”
USA Today pushed Buffalo down to No. 8, a seven-spot fall. The site pointed out that the Bills are still putting up points at the league’s highest rate, but said the early success looks different now that it includes wins over two winless teams, plus a Week 3 fight with the Chargers before Sunday’s wake-up loss to New England.
The bigger concern going forward, according to USA Today, is the road-heavy stretch ahead. Buffalo will be at home only once over its next six games.
Yahoo had the Bills at No. 5, down four places, and focused on how much was on the line against a division opponent at home. A win would have essentially put the AFC East race in Buffalo’s hands with a three-game cushion.
Instead, the Bills let New England back into the picture. Yahoo singled out the defense, which allowed 405 yards to an offense that had been struggling badly.
Allen remains the engine of the attack, but Yahoo also noted that his interception in the final two minutes hurt Buffalo, especially after Allen said he should have thrown the ball away rather than force a risky downfield play. The larger alarm bell was on defense: Buffalo sits 30th in EPA per play allowed and 26th in DVOA.
Yahoo added that the lowest a Super Bowl champion has ever finished in defensive DVOA is 25th, by the 2006 Colts.
Bleacher Report also dropped Buffalo to No. 4, down three, and described a game that flipped the script on the teams’ early-season trajectories. Entering Week 4, the Bills looked like one of the league’s hottest teams while New England was stumbling on offense.
That changed quickly. Drake Maye turned in by far his best game of the season, and the Patriots piled up more than 140 rushing yards.
For Buffalo, it was another rough defensive showing, and Bleacher Report called the issues significant enough to raise real concern. The Patriots had entered the game with the league’s worst scoring offense, yet they had little trouble against what Bleacher Report labeled the NFL’s eighth-worst defense.
The Bills are still in the conversation. But after Sunday, the shine is off the start, and the questions around that defense are getting louder.
In Other News...
Bills Fans Will Feel Mitch Morses Heartbreaking Family News
Mitch Morse shared heartbreaking family news this week, announcing the death of his younger brother Robbie, who passed away last week at 30. Robbie had lived with lifelong disabilities after suffering severe brain trauma as an infant, and the Morse family had long been open about his story, turning their private struggle into something many football fans came to know over the years.
The loss is one that will resonate in Buffalo, where Morse spent part of his career and built a strong connection with the fan base. Condolences poured in from across the NFL, including from former teammates and multiple teams, a reminder of how widely Robbies story was felt beyond one locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Have A Problem They May Need To Trade For
The Bills 29-26 loss to the Patriots did more than dent the standings. It also pushed a familiar concern back into the spotlight: a secondary that is being asked to hold up while the defense adjusts to Jim Leonhards system, all while injuries keep stripping away experienced options. Buffalo has had to lean on less seasoned defensive backs, and the results have made the back end look like a spot that could use help sooner rather than later.
With the trade deadline still on the horizon in 2026, the question is whether Buffalo waits for its current group to stabilize or starts looking outside the building for reinforcements. The need is obvious enough after a night like this, but the challenge is finding a move that actually fits both the Bills defense and the urgency created by a thin, banged-up secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Face A Risky Tyreek Hill Decision With AFC Stakes
Tyreek Hill is expected to land with an NFL team soon after working his way back from a season-ending injury and being released by the Dolphins, and the Bills are one of the clubs that could wind up in the mix. NFL insider Albert Breer pointed to Buffalo and Kansas City as the two most obvious fits, which makes sense given how both early AFC contenders could use help at wide receiver and have enough ambition to think beyond simple depth.
For Buffalo, the appeal is obvious and the risk is just as clear. Hill would give the offense another dangerous weapon, but the Bills would also be weighing his recovery and age against the possibility that the Chiefs could get there first. In a conference where every edge matters, the decision is less about whether Hill can help and more about how much a contender wants to bet on what he still has left. [Read more 🡒]